Electronic medical file systems, also known as telemedicine systems, are known in the art. These telemedicine systems allow medical practitioners to engage in diagnostic activities without being in the same physical location as the patient. For example, some telemedicine systems allow doctors to remotely view a patient using video cameras, still pictures, or other suitable imaging devices. Likewise, other telemedicine systems allow doctors to send and receive diagnostic data, such as x-rays, sonograms, audio data, audiovisual data, graphic data, text data, or other suitable diagnostic data. These systems may be subject to one or more standards organizations or regulatory bodies, such as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and other private, state, or federal regulatory agencies and standards organizations.
Although these telemedicine systems exist and have been implemented, there are significant problems that prevent them from being widely used. One such problem is that medical records created using the telemedicine systems and apparatuses cannot be controlled. Thus, it is possible for medical files to be lost, corrupted, modified, or otherwise changed. Such changes can result in significant legal liability, and the ability to perform such changes is an impediment to the widespread adoption of telemedicine systems and methods.
Other serious problems with telemedicine systems are the inability to verify whether a receiving physician is present, whether the receiving system can receive the transmitted files, whether the receiving system has received all prior files, and to otherwise ensure continuity of the medical record. For example, it is possible for doctors to be sent an x-ray or sonogram data, and for that doctor to diagnose the x-ray or sonogram data with a misunderstanding as to the identity, age, sex, or other physical conditions of the patient. Thus, it is possible for doctors to perform diagnostic services using mistaken assumptions, which can also create legal liability.
These and other problems with existing telemedicine systems have resulted in the delayed implementation of such telemedicine systems. Likewise, these problems with telemedicine systems prevent telemedicine from being fully developed to the point where the full range of medical services, such as diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and other similar services can be provided.